Adventure Comics Vol 1 35
Supporting Characters: * Ling Foo * Doctor Bonfils * * Antagonists: * ** many henchmen * Shiek Ah Hamid * slave buyer Other Characters: * Naida Locations: * , Items: * Al Hamid's mind control drug * Bonfils' mind drug antidote | StoryTitle2 = Cotton Carver: "The World Beneath The South Pole" | Synopsis2 = En route to the South Pole, a small ski plane piloted by Cotton Carver, develops engine trouble and must land on an ice field. With limited supplies, he travels on foot through the snow, in search of an outpost. He happens upon a native hunting party. Atzatl, the leader of the hunting group, greets Cotton and tells him that they are descendants of Mayan refugees that escaped the Spanish conquerors. Cotton follows them to a pool of water in the ice that they say leads to their home, the hidden valley of Mayala. Never one to pass up a chance for adventure, he follows them into the water, which is surprisingly warm despite the cold climate. Cotton soon finds himself standing on a cliff overlooking a massive valley! It is impossible to explain how this land of Mayala has gone unnoticed for hundreds of years. Atzatl introduces Cotton to a young woman, Loalla, saying she is to become the bride of the rival tribe's fierce king, Quelta, in order to keep peace between their two tribes. But Loalla seems saddened by the idea, speaking up that it was Atzatl whom she truly loved, and that he was the rightfully born heir to the throne. Atzatl's sense of loyalty and duty prevent him from admitting his love for her, though he is aware of Quelta's cruelty towards his past wives. Cotton asks why he doesn't fight back, with Loalla adding that only the warriors in the fortress were loyal to Quelta while the rest had more of a fondness for Atzatl himself. He is soon convinced to try, and leads the group to the village so that the people can be rallied and preparations can be made. With Cotton's help and advice, the army of Atzatl is ready to move forward in a few days time! Cotton and Atzatl lead the march across the valley towards the fort of King Quelta, and Loalla remains at their side throughout the trek. With the help of Cotton's twin six-shooters, the journey meets with few casualties. The army continues undeterred until they reach Quelta's fortress. In a rough battle, having to climb onto the parapets while dodging arrows, the Mayans overrun the outnumbered defenders, until only the enraged Quelta is left alive. In desperation he tries shooting a single arrow at his supposed bride, Loalla, but it is deflected by a bullet, back to sink itself into Quelta's own chest. The cruel king is dead and Atzatl is able to reclaim his place as king. He and Loalla are wed thereafter, promising Cotton to repay for his help by sending an expedition to the "outer world" to help him get back home. | Appearing2 = Featured Characters: * Antagonists: * King Quelta Other Characters: * Atzatl, new king * Loalla, new queen ** Mayan descendents ** Incan descendants Locations: * ** *** *** hidden valley entrance to the **** Mayala Vehicles: * Carver's small plane | StoryTitle3 = Federal Men: "Wrong Side of the Law, Part 4" | Synopsis3 = Still believing himself to be the criminal Dan Steele, Steve Carson is elected to be the new gang leader, after the death of Biff. But before he can accept the position he'll have to deal with Red, who pulls out a gun and points it at "Dan". Red still believes that Dan Steele is a traitor and that he deliberately got Biff killed. The others grab Red and yank his gun away. They offer him and Steve an alternative, fight it out with their fists and they'll let whoever wins be the leader. Both men agree to this and Red starts out by landing the first blow. Even with amnesia, Steve counters every hit and dodges and weaves like a professional boxer, finally striking with a knockout punch. The men cheer for his victory and pull out their guns to finish Red off. That instinct goes off in Steve's head again, and he quickly stops them from firing. He orders the men to give him all their guns. As the new leader they were going to do things in a more non-violent fashion, and to show it, he had the perfect idea for a new job. A week later, the gangsters walk nonchalantly into a bank one at a time. Suddenly a small explosion rocks the bank as a cloud of smoke suddenly envelops everything in sight: sleeping gas! Steve's men don gas masks as they take the money out of the vault and make a perfect getaway! Soon, the gang's crimes are all over the headlines, with their seemingly unstoppable status earning them the title of the "Phantom Gang". The police are so baffled by the events that they call the F.B.I. for assistance. The response is quick, with one of their best agents being sent to investigate, Steve Carson's old friend Ralph Ventor! The witnesses at the last bank that was robbed give Ralph a detailed description of the gang leader, a description that sounds familiar somehow, but Ralph can't think where it was from... Meanwhile Steve sits with his gang back at the hideout, laying out his new plan for the "ultimate heist". | Appearing3 = Featured Characters: * Supporting Characters: * Ralph Ventor Antagonists: * Red * The "Phantom Gang" Other Characters: * Locations: * | StoryTitle4 = Dale Daring: "Ivory Smugglers, Part 1" | Synopsis4 = Dale Daring and Don Brewster are enjoying a quiet evening together, off the South American coast from her father's plantation, when Don notices the storm clouds out in the distance, a good indication that they should get back to shore before the waters become too rough. But their launch refuses to start, because of the battery being dead, which means that they will be marooned until a boat comes by to help them. There is nothing left to do but seek shelter from the storm. Dale remembers the cave she found and suggests they sleep there for the night. Don sets up a fire to keep them warm as they take turns staying up to watch for any rescue boats. In the middle of the night Don is awakened by Dale, who whispers that she heard voices coming from the beach! Don tells her to stay out of sight in the cave while he goes out to have a look. On the beach he sees a launch that's been run aground on the rocks, and he hurries down as four men climb onto the beach. One of them steps forward when he sees Don coming, having known there were others on the island after spotting the small boat. Don explains his battery problem and asks if they have a spare he could use to get back to the coast for assistance. Meanwhile, Dale has gone off to explore the rest of the cave when she comes across a room containing a fortune in ivory tusks. But where could they have come from? Back on the beach, Don prepares to attach the new battery to the boat's motor when the landing party's boss announces he's going to the cave to "look things over". Don's suspicions are put on alert and he offers to come along, much to the man's disdain. They find Dale in the cavern with the ivory tusks and almost immediately the man pushes Don forward and pulls out a gun. He and the others were illegal ivory smugglers, and now it seems Don and Dale knew too much to be allowed to live. | Appearing4 = Featured Characters: * Supporting Characters: * Don Brewster Antagonists: * Ivory Smugglers Locations: * Vehicles: * Dale's motor launch * Smugglers' motor launch | Writer5_1 = Fred Schwab | Penciler5_1 = Fred Schwab | Inker5_1 = Fred Schwab | StoryTitle5 = Don Coyote: "In Arabia, Part 3" | Synopsis5 = | Appearing5 = Featured Characters: * Antagonists: * Arabs Other Characters: * Locations: * | StoryTitle6 = Tom Brent: "The Slave Ship" | Synopsis6 = Feeling he has earned a break after recent events, Tom Brent is now cruising in a small boat with Sue Waters, the daughter of a well-known shipping merchant. A huge oil tanker looms up in their path, they see it too late to avoid! The boat collides in a destructive crash with the hull of the tankerm leaving Tom and Sue, although uninjured, treading in the water far away from shore. It's only logical, then, that someone aboard the tanker will throw them a lifeline. But even as Tom shouts no response is made, even though it was highly unlikely that they couldn't have heard him. Finding a rope hanging down the hull's side, he tells Sue to climb up as he follows behind. Now that they are on the deck, it is understandable why no one heeded their calls. The tanker seemed completely deserted! No one is in the wheelhouse either, when Tom goes up to check, but then Sue shouts out, as a large figure steps out of the shadows, holding a revolver. He tells Tom to go back over the side while they keep the girl, an idea that Tom doesn't like much and he lets the man know with a sucker punch to the face, as he uses his other hand to grab the gun out of the man's grip. The man collapses to the deck, but it isn't over yet, as two Chinese gun-toting thugs appear, ordering Tom and Sue to come with them. Deep below deck, Tom and Sue are brought into a room where they learn that Sue's father is working with these thugs, to her absolute horror. Tom is put to work in the furnace room where they force him to shovel coal with other slaves. He tries attacking the slave-master with the shovel but is held back by another worker, who points his attention to the catwalks above, where armed guards keep watch for any trouble. Tom is told that the oil tanker is actually a slave ship, and the oil tanks are stuffed with Asian laborers that they plan to sell in Bombay. Afterwards the slavers will probably kill him and Tom. That night, as the guard dozes by the door to the oil tanks, Tom sneaks up and disarms him while his coal-scooping partner opens the first tank hatch. The ship's captain appears with a small squad of armed men. With the gun they pinched off the guard, Tom provides his friend cover fire, as he works the hatch. It soon gives way and the angry laborers climb out, one-by-one, and begin attacking the ship's crew, and their captain. While he puts his friend in charge of watching the captain, Tom goes up to rescue Sue and capture her father for aiding the slavers. He is forced to knock the shipping merchant out when he tries to attack. Carrying her father over his shoulder, Tom leads Sue to the ship's life rafts, where they head ashore, to tell the Coast Guard of the slave smugglers. Mr. Waters is arrested and the laborers sent back to their homes. The chief of police thanks Tom for helping them catch the men they've been after for months. He mentions that he may have another job that he'd like Tom to help with. | Appearing6 = Featured Characters: * Antagonists: * Slavers * Mr. Waters Other Characters: * Sue Waters * Coast Guard commander Vehicles: * converted oil tanker /slave ship * Miss Waters' speedboat | StoryTitle7 = Captain Desmo: "The Masked Man, Part 4" | Synopsis7 = The rifleman has Captain Desmo and Gabby pinned behind a rock. He continues to watch through his scope, firing whenever he can get a clear shot. His targets seem to remain behind the rock's cover, but he can wait for hours if need be. But then a noise from beside him causes the man to jump to his feet. Captain Desmo lands a hit on his jaw, able to get close by letting Gabby keep the shooter distracted down below. The gunman begins to gain the upper hand in the fight, as he struggles to bring his tiny dagger down on Desmo, then a sudden pain strikes the back of his head and he keels over. Gabby comes forward, nodding at his aim. The rock he threw lay at the man's side near the bump in his head. Captain Desmo strips off the man's clothing and disguises himself in it. At the desert bandits' camp site, the Masked Man holds a council meeting with his lieutenants, discussing how they'd managed to complete phase one of their plan by getting Colonel McAllister discharged. He is interrupted by one of his guards, escorting a disguised Captain Desmo to see him about buying weapons. The Masked Man excuses himself from the meeting and leads his "customer" to the ammunition hut, on the edge of camp. Once there he whips out a knife and attempts to stab Desmo in the back, not being fooled by the robes. Luckily he is no match for the Captain, and is easily overpowered and put out cold. With the bandit leader slung over his shoulder, Captain Desmo uses the arsenal of guns to ward off the advancing tribesmen, as he heads for their horses. Soon the hotel bellhop delivers a letter to Colonel McAllister, from Desmo, saying that he is bringing the masked bandit leader to his hotel room, where he hopes the man will confess to everything. Moments later, Desmo arrives with the unmasked prisoner, whom the colonel recognizes as Captain Terhune, who admits that he framed him in order to cover his own crime of smuggling guns out of the military camp. The captain is tried before a court martial and sentenced to death, with Colonel McAllister's own name being cleared in the process. And so after saying their goodbyes, Captain Desmo takes Gabby with him eastbound in search of new adventure. | Appearing7 = Featured Characters: * Supporting Characters: * Gabby McGuire Antagonists: * The Masked Man (Captain Terhune) ** his mountain bandits Other Characters: * Colonel McAllister Locations: * | Writer8_1 = Fred Schwab | Penciler8_1 = Fred Schwab | Inker8_1 = Fred Schwab | StoryTitle8 = Cal 'n' Alec | Synopsis8 = | Appearing8 = Featured Characters: * * Locations: * Out West | StoryTitle10 = Tod Hunter: "The God of the Ruby Eye, Part 8" | Synopsis10 = Tod Hunter keeps his grip on the back of the large gorilla, buying time for Tommy and Gale to get out of its reach. The gorilla finally wraps its mighty hands around Tod and throws him to the ground, knocking him out cold. Tommy and Gale watch as the beast lumbers over to the locked door and rips it off its hinges like they were paper. It leaves the room just as Tod regains consciousness, but when he lays eyes on his two companions, he can't recognize either of them, nor does he remember his own name! Tod wanders out of the hut and into the jungle, with Tommy and Gale chasing after him. Praying that his amnesia is only a temporary affliction, they invite Tom to camp with them that night to avoid the nocturnal dangers of the jungle. As the fire crackles and burns brightly, a rustling sound is heard off in the brush. Tommy gets his knife ready as a figure comes stumbling out. Gale gasps with relief and runs over to hug her father, whom she thought had been lost. Tod creeps off away from the trio, while they are distracted, still not willing to trust them. By the time they notice his absence, Tod has already made it into the Natives' territory. Unfortunately, the Natives know exactly where he was, and they launch their surprise ambush, holding Tod at spear point. | Appearing10 = Featured Characters: * Supporting Characters: * Gale Duncan * Tommy Tommy wears a monocle Antagonists: * Bates Other Characters: * Mr. Duncan * Native Tribesmen Animals: * giant gorilla Locations: * | StoryTitle11 = Golden Dragon, Episode 30 | Synopsis11 = Ian's plan to get Reilly inside the palace had worked perfectly. Now he only needed to make his own way there, with Pan Chi-Lou riding beside him. They are both hoping that Reilly is still all right and that he had given the message to the Ja Lama to keep the west gate unlocked. When he arrives at the point, Ian puts a hand against the door and pushes... success! He slips inside, while Pan goes back to bring up the rest of the men. The dark corridor is too silent for Ian's comfort. He sees a shadowy form disappear behind a corner. once he turned to look straight at it. Placing his jacket over the muzzle of his gun, Ian carefully pokes it around the corner. A slashing blade comes down on the jacket, emitting a clang as it hits the barrel. Ian replaced his jacket and pointed his gun directly at the robed priest who has just tried to cut him in half, commanding him to lead the way to Torgadoff. The priest drops the sword and bows his head in submission. Ian follows him through several corridors and stairwells until they arrive at a doorway, from which there can be heard the sounds of shouting and drums. Peering inside, Ian takes in an awesome sight! On a stage surrounded by priests is a massive golden dragon, the kind which was heard about in old Chinese legends. It is moving toward the balcony where, from what Ian could see, two strong-armed priests were dangling a figure wrapped in a red velvet sheet. The figure starts shouting in a familiar voice, it's Doris! He runs to find a way to reach her before she is eaten by the foul beast. On a similar platform lower down in the temple, Reilly is standing over the still form of the guard, watching in horror as the priests began to swing the bundle of silk that holds Doris. The large dragon waits below with its great jaws salivating. Then Ian comes rushing over and pushes aside the priests, and grabs the silk-wrapped Doris, releasing her from the rope tied around her waist. Torgadoff shouts a command in Chinese and the priests began to swarm in on Ian, until they manage to subdue him. Torgadoff steps in and spits in Ian's face, a bad decision, as Ian uses the firm grip of the priests on his arms to lift his legs up and kick out at the Tartar, knocking Torgadoff over the railing into the dragon's grasp. Taking advantage of the priests' momentary shock, he wriggles loose from their grasp and grabs his rifle. The priests flee the area as Ian swings the rifle around wildly. | Appearing11 = Featured Characters: * Supporting Characters: * Jim Reilly * Doris Willis * Pan Chi-Lou Antagonists: * Torgadoff ** priests Other Characters: * Don Campbell * Drenidoff * Walker * Ja Lama Locations: * Animals: * a dragon | StoryTitle12 = Rusty and His Pals: "The Pirate Ship, Part 10" | Synopsis12 = Ichabod's plane is closing in on the speed boat containing Rusty with his friends and Steve. The shots are coming closer, Steve tries firing back to no avail. When the boat careens into a rock jutting out of the water, their only hope is to jump. The boat is destroyed, and the plane flies past them, while making a wide arc, buying some time for the boys to seek cover back on land. They soon hear the plane make a landing on the water by the beach, encouraging them to hurry away before they are spotted. Steve finds a cave they can hide in, using the matches he keeps dry inside his tobacco bag for a light source. But the spark of the flame was seen from outside by Ichabod and his cohorts, who rush in to finish off their unwelcome guests. Rusty hears them approach and quickly he and the others head deeper into the cave, in an attempt to escape. Many twists and turns are taken, with Ichabod and crew following directly behind. Then suddenly, a dead end! With nowhere left to go, Steve keeps the boys behind him as he prepares to fight, in what would surely be his last brave act. A hand grabs him by the shoulder, Steve turns to see an old man appear from behind a secret tunnel, covered by rock, beckoning them to follow. They oblige, as the old man moves the rock back into place, right before Ichabod rounds the bend. Steve thanks the old man for his help, as several candles are lit. The man tells them that he, too, is an enemy of the counterfeiters. While Rusty and the boys make themselves comfortable, Steve asks him who he is, and how he came to be here. Lighting his pipe, the old man begins to tell his long tale. | Appearing12 = Featured Characters: * * Specs * Tubby Supporting Characters: * Steve Carter Antagonists: * Ichabod Slade * The Duchess * Hunch Other Characters: * Old Man | StoryTitle13 = Anchors Aweigh: "El Diablo, Part 8" | Synopsis13 = Don Kerry had just rescued Marshall, of the U.S. Embassy, from El Diablo, and Red has just entered with Ramon Fernando, an aide of Marshall's, now suspected of being in league with El Diablo. All now stand in the Colonel's office, where Fernando confesses that he helped trick Marshall into becoming a traitor. Don wants to take him back aboard the flagship where he can be fully interrogated and better protected. Red locks him in a room while he and Don pack up their belongings for the trip. When they unlock the door to fetch Fernando, to their shock, they find his body lying on the floor with a knife protruding from his back. The window was wide open, used by the murderer as an entry and escape point. Don and Red are left to go back to the ship empty handed. The admiral aboard the flagship grants Don Kerry and Red Murphy permission to continue pursuing El Diablo, using their best judgement, that which hasn't failed them yet. Colonel Vargas from the embassy allows them to use one of his planes to search for any trails left by the murderer. However, before they can get to the airport, a car pulls up and a couple of thugs force them inside at gunpoint. They are taken to a low-winged high-speed plane, that flies them to a small airfield somewhere in the vicinity of Montero. Inside the spacious quarters of El Diablo, the hooded villain sentences them to death by his firing squad. He has them placed in a cell shared by another prisoner, one who mutters in his sleep. From the bits of nonsensical rambling they can make out, Don and Red conclude that the man must have overheard El Diablo talking about blowing up the Navy flagship with an attack from above, ultimately meaning to kill the Ambassador they were ferrying. The guards enter the cell and drag the raving man out to be executed, leaving Don and Red alone to ponder what, if anything, they can do to escape. | Appearing13 = Featured Characters: * Supporting Characters: * Red Murphy * Marshall Antagonists: * * The Caraja Tribe Other Characters: * Red Murphy * Colonel Vargas Locations: * ** Montero | Notes = * Published by Detective Comics, Inc. * Last issue for Leo O'Mealia on Barry O'Neill. * After this issue, Cal 'n' Alec by Fred Schwab moves to More Fun Comics, starting in #42. * First issue for Cotton Carver. * Also appearing in this issue of Adventure Comics were: ** "Alpine Adventure" (text story) by Terry Keane ** Gas House Gang by Bob Kane ** Here's How It Started by Ken Browne ** Profesor Dolittle by Bob Kane ** This Doggone World by Fred Schwab | Trivia = * In Don Coyote's story, Sir Goof is actually a disguised 20th Century playboy, as revealed in the next issue. | Recommended = | Links = }}